Funeral truck adapter



March 1, 1949.

F. P. MARSON` ETAL FUNERAL TRUCK ADAPTR Filed Feb. 20, 1947 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 M@ ttorneg 'a MarchA 1, 1949. F. P. MARsoN ETAL FUNERAL TRUCK ADAPTER 2 Sheets-Sheet. 2

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m, M TMW mMM m Mw MW mm Patented Mar. 1, 1949 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE FUNERAL TRUCK ADAPTER Frank P. Marson, Murfreesboro, and Robert L. Sims, Winchester, Tenn.

Application February 20, 1947, Serial No. 729,860

4 Claims. l

This invention relates to extensible supports Ior loads carried by wheeled vehicles and more particularly to a horizontally-adjustable support, carried by a wheeled vehicle, for supporting a member having a substantially flat bottom. An example of such a support is horizontally-extensible adapter constructed and arranged to be positioned upon a funeral truck to ada-pt the latter so that it can receive and retain caskets of smaller size than the truck is constructed to accommodate.

Funeral trucks are generally built to include four corner posts, upon which the casket rests, and these posts are adjustable toward and away from each other. While gravity will retain most caskets upon these corner posts, these trucks are not adapted to accommodate small light weight caskets. An important object of the invention is to provide a readily extensible and collapsible and readily removable and replaceable support or adapter, to rest upon the corner posts so that the casket will, in turn, rest upon this support or adapter.

Another important object is to provide such a support or adapter which may be readily extended to any fixed width and retained at such width in use. Thus, even a very small casket may be disposed upon the adapter and, since the adapter includes means to retain the casket against accidental movement, the associated truck may be employed in substantially all the uses to which it is intended during a funeral.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent during the following detailed description of the invention, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this application, and in which drawings:

Figure l is a top plan of the novel adapter in one extended position.

Figure 2 is a similar view but in a wholly collapsed position.

Figure 3 is a side elevation of the new adapter.

Figure 4 is an end elevation of the adapter in a collapsed position, this being on a scale larger than the showing in Figure 2.

Figure 5 is a vertical section through one form of a corner post bumper-accommodating cap associated with the novel adapter.

Figure 6 is an elevation of a securing member also associated with this adapter.

In the drawings, wherein for the purpose of illustration is shown a preferred embodiment of the invention and wherein similar reference characters designate corresponding parts throughout the several views, the novel support or adapter is shown to comprise a horizontally adjustable support portion IIJ; means II to re,- tain this portion in various adjusted positions, socketed means I2 to removably secure the support upon the corner posts or uprights of a vehicle, and adjustable means I3 to retain a member upon the support portion I0.

The support portion I0 includes a plurality of elongated members I5, which are, preferably, rigid, iiat bars of suitable metal, rounded at their extremities, and disposed in lazy tongs fashion. That is, as in the example shown in Figure 1, there are six members I5, arranged to form three pairs with the two members of each pair crossing intermediate their ends and pivoted together, as by the pivot means I6. Each outermost member I5 is also pivoted, at one end, as by the outer pivot means I'I, to one outer end of the next adjacent member oi the intermediate pair of member I5 and the members of the outermost pairs are also pivoted at their ends, not connected by the pivot means I'I, to elongated border members I8, as by the pivot means I9.

These elongated border members I8 are of novel construction and each comprises an upwardly-extending, straight wall portion 20 which may be rounded, as shown at 2| in Figure 3, at the extremities of its upper edge 22. For good appearances, this wall is imperforate, since the provisions of the means I I and I2 to be described, which entails slotting is carried out by slotting the horizontal wall 23 of each member I8, next to be described.

The wall 23 is preferably as long as the wall 20 and forms a right-angle, `in transverse section (as may be seen in Figure 5) with the wall 20. The pivot means I9 are disposed adjacent the ends of the wall 23 and, extending longitudinally of each wall 23 inwardly of the pivot means I9, are a pair of slots 24.

Each of the slots 24 receives an upwardly-projecting portion of a cylindrical lug 25 which may have a head extending over a small area of the upper face of the walls 23 adjacent the slots and the lower end of each lug may be screw threaded to receive a wing nut 26 (which lugs 25 and wing nuts 25 comprise the means II) and a lug and wing nut is provided for each of four cross links 2l and suitably secured thereto. The opposite end of each cross link 21 is pivotally carried by the pivot means I9 mentioned. Thus the cross links 21 are adjacent the ends of the support portion I0. With the lazy tongs construction described.

it is now apparent that the support portion III,v

3 may be extended laterally, limited only by the lengths of the slots 24.

These slots 24 also accommodate portions of the socketed means I2. As heretofore stated, a casket truck generally includes four corner uprights each terminating at its upper end in a bumper upon which the casket rests. Such uprights and bumpers are shown, for example, in United States Patent 2,016,232, granted October 1, 1935, to Harry T. Floyd. The socketed means I2 are constructed and arranged to accommodate bumpers, of which those shown in the United States patent referred to are examples. Each of the means I2 comprises a socketed member Si! with its socket 3l facing or opening downwardly and a headed lug 32 secured to and projecting upwardly from the socketed member Sil and through a slot 24. The lower end of the lug 32 may be screw threaded with the screw threads thereof cooperating with the screw threads of a spacer 33 secured to the socketed member 3i). The lug 32 is slidable along it-s slot 24 so that the socketed members may be moved longitudinally of the support portion l until they are positioned to accommodate the bumpers mentioned. In order to adjust the positions of socketed members so that they will accommodate the bumpers of a casket truck, with its corner posts disposed a certain distance apart longitudinally, there is provided guide indicia 35i upon the upper faces of the walls 23 along portions of the slots 24. The indicia may be inch marks and numerals. In the example shown in Figure 1, the length of each border member I8 may be assumed to be forty-four inches. Each socketed member is spa-ced eight inches from each end.. Therefore, the corner posts may beassumed to be spaced twenty-eight inches apart longitudinally. It is obvious that this indicia enables an operator to space each socketed member an equal distance from the nearest end of aborder member i8. A turn upon thesocketed member will either tighten or loosen it, as is also obvious.

When caskets of small size and weight are supported by the novel adapter, it has been found desirable to prevent` longitudinal shifting thereof. This. is provided against by the means I 3. Shown in Figure 6 is one of two rigid members 35, as thin metal bars, which are slightly higher than the wall 2D and each is provided, preferably adjacent one end, with a transverse slot 36 very slightly wider and higher than the wall 2li. so that the slots may accommodate the walls .'Fl with the surfaces at the base of the slots resting upon the edge 22.

The rigid members project transversely of the support portion Il) and may be slid longitudinally along the wall 20. One is carried by each wall 2l) and are adapted to be set so that they will project in front and in back of the casket and prevent longitudinal movement thereof since in the event any pressure is exerted upon their inner end portions 3'! in a direction toward the ends ofthe support portion lll. they will cantvery slightly and be bound against sliding longitudinallyof the wall 20. However, when they form a right angle with their respective wall 20, they may be slid as stated.

In collapsing the novel adapter to the positions shown in Figures 2 and 3, the thumb nuts 2B are loosened and the two lugs 25 of each border member I8 permitted to lslide toward each other along the slots 24. The adapter may be secured ina collapsed condition by then tightening the wing nuts. Obviously transverse n (il J port port dispo-sed upon the upper ends of upwardlyextending corner posts of a longitudinallyextensible funeral truck, a laterally-extensible, horizontally disposed casket support portion, including a pair of longitudinally-extending, parallel border members each provided with a pair o1 spaced-apart, longitudinally-extending slots adjacent its ends; and adjustable means carried by said support portion to receive the upper ends of said corner posts, including socketed members,

v, each with its socket opening downwardly and each provided with an upwardly-extending lug, projecting through and slidable along said slots, there being one lug in each slot, the upper end of each lug having an enlargement wider than if. the width of any of said slots.

2. In an adapter to provide a horizontal support disposed upon the upper ends of upwardlyextending corner posts, of a longitudinally-extensible funeral truck, a laterally-extensible, horizontally disposed casket support portion, including a pair of longitudinally-extending, parallel border members each provided with a pair of spaced-apart, longitudinally-extending slots adjacent ts ends and a lazy tong assembly connecting said border members; and adjustable means carried by said support portion to receive the upper ends of said corner posts, including socketed members, each with its socket opening downwardly and each provided with an upwardlyextending lug, projecting through and slidable along said slots, there being one lug in each slot, the upper end of each lug having an enlargement wider than the width of any of said slots.

3. In an adapter to provide a horizontal supdisposed upon the upper ends of upwardlyextending corner posts of a longitudinally-extensible funeral truck, a laterally-extensible, horizontally disposed casket support portion, including a pair of longitudinally-extending, parallel border members each provided with a pair of spaced-apart, longitudinally extending slots adjacent its ends, each border member comprisingr a vertical wall providing an outwardly facing wall, and a horizontal wall joined thereto, said slots being in said horizontal walls; and adjustable means carried by said support portion to receive the upper ends of said corner posts, including socketed members, each with its socket opening downwardly and each provided with an upwardlyextending lug, projecting through and slidable along said slots, there being one lug in each slot, the upper end of each lug having an enlargement wider than the width of any of said slots.

4. In an adapter to provide a horizontal support disposed upon the upper ends of upwardlyextending corner posts of a longitudinally-extensible funeral truck, a laterally-extensible, horizontally disposed casket support portion, including a pair of longitudinally-extending, parallel border members each provided with a pair of spaced-apart, longitudinally-extending slots adjacent its ends and a lazy tong-assembly connecting said border members, each border member comprising a vertical wall providing an outwardly facingwall, and a horizontal Wall joined thereto.`

said slots being in said horizontal walls; means to clamp said lazy tongs assembly in selected adjusted positions including screw threaded lugs extending through said s1ots in said border members, provided with heads bearing against one face of said border members and with nuts rotatable along said screw threads to bear against said lazy tongs assembly; and adjustable means carried by said support portion to receive the upper ends o said corner posts, including socketed members, each with its socket opening downwardly and each provided with an upwardlyextending lug, projecting through and slidable along said slots of said border members, there being one lug in each slot, the upper end of each lug having an enlargement wider than the width of any of said slots.

FRANK P. MARSON. ROBERT L. SIMS.

REFERENCES CITED 'The .following references are of record in the le oi this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date Re. 3,512 Joyce June 22, 1869 1,649,203 Wickstrum Nov. 15, 1927 2,003,287 Fitch June 4, 1935 

